A/N: Apologies for the extra days of waiting. I was out of town last weekend and couldn't get the next chapter posted. It went in a different direction than what I expected but I like the way it turned out. I hope you enjoy!

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Sophia Kaiba: Yes they are. :)

BlondiezHere: Araden and Rhae do still have some things to work out, that's for sure.

angel897: Thanks!

Guest: Yes, Dis has a wedding to plan!

My Petal Heart: I feel all swoon-y when I imagine Richard Armitage saying such wonderful things. :)

Leona2016: I thought that was something Gloin would say. And yes, Dis will be in her element.

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Everything belongs to Tolkien except Rhae and any other OCs

"Lady Dis, there is a raven with a message for you."

The guard had knocked just as she was preparing to join Fíli for dinner but she hurried after him without a second thought. As the only dwarf who would be sending her a message via a raven was her brother - and he was heading for Rivendell to hopefully bring Rhae back - she was filled with a mix of concern and excitement. She tried to keep calm, telling herself repeatedly as she made her way to the overlook where the ravens roosted that the message could be good news, it could be bad news. It could be a call for help or just Thorin letting her know they were okay. Once again she cursed her brother and Rhae's stubbornness; this could have all been avoided if they'd just talked to each other. The raven master was waiting for her, a large bird standing on a rock next to him.

"I was told there is a message for me?"

"Yes, Your Highness. Maec arrived just a bit ago with it." She expected him to hand her a handwritten note but instead he motioned towards the bird and stepped back so as not to eavesdrop. This caused her concern to grow. If Thorin hadn't had time to write down his message then there had to be something wrong. Had something happened to him or Kíli? Had they been caught by early snow in the mountains? Had Rhae turned him down? She took a deep breath to try and slow the frantic beating of her heart as she turned to the raven. The bird hopped a bit closer to her, giving a slight dip of its head, and then proceeded to relay her brother's message. Her mouth dropped open as he finished and she just stared incredulously at him. The raven's voice had been raspy but surely she had not misunderstood.

"The King gave you this message personally?"

"Yes. He was with the Dunedain."

All worry fled. Her heart jumped in her chest and she could feel her excitement bubbling to the surface. "He said they would be leaving within a day or two. How long did it take you to return here?"

"Four days."

Dis did the calculations quickly in her head. If Thorin and his group had left Rivendell the day after sending his message, they had only been on the road two or three days at the most. That left her ... not nearly enough time!

"Thank you, Maec." She turned and called the raven master over. "See to it that this fellow is given a wonderful meal and is allowed to rest as long as it is needed. He had brought me wonderful news."

"It will be done, Your Highness." She gathered up her skirts and sprinted from the overlook. There were a few curious glances as she rushed through the mountain but Dis didn't care. She had people to talk to, things to do! Fíli was standing in front of the fire in the family dining room when she came bursting in.

"Amad! Whatever is the matter?" He hurried to her side, taking her arm but she just waved him off.

"Nothing is the matter! We have so much work to do and they'll be back in no time! Oh I have so many things to plan! I have waited so long for this! "

"What are you talking about?" His utter confusion was written on his face and she laughed joyously and kissed his cheek. He just stared at her.

"I have just received a message from your uncle. They left Rivendell two or three days ago and expect to be back in three months ... and he's bringing Rhae with him! They are to be married a month after their return!"

Traveling with the dwarves was much more enjoyable than Rhae had imagined. It did start snowing as they climbed through the mountains but it didn't dampen the spirits of her companions or do much more than slow them down a bit. Bofur made sure to fill her and Frerin in on what had happened the last time they had come this way over the Misty Mountains. She had read about the adventure with the goblins but hearing it, while sitting around a small campfire not far from where it had happened, was a trifle unsettling and she couldn't help but feel relief when they finally began their descent towards the river. The journey was also giving her and Thorin some time to get to know one another better; the others made sure to give them plenty of time alone. Being in such a situation forces one to become much better acquainted with other's daily habits and Rhae found she was grateful for the lessons. At least she would return to Erebor with some idea of what her soon-to-be-husband was like in private.

When he wasn't by her side, Thorin was with his brother. She couldn't keep the smile off her face whenever she looked at them. Some females might have felt slighted and put off if their betrothed spent time away from them but that was not her way. Frerin's return was such a miracle and she couldn't begrudge Thorin the time. He had to get to know his brother all over again, get used to a much older and probably wiser Frerin. Rhae got her own time alone with the younger Durin one night as they were both on watch as they camped by the Anduin. There was no conversation at first, they just used the time to get accustomed to the other's presence. She was also aware that it probably still seemed a bit strange to him that there was a non-dwarf with them in the first place, let alone set to be married to his brother. Because of all that Rhae was content to let Frerin take the reins when it came to starting and directing any discussion between them.

"Are you sad to leave your home with the elves?"

She stifled a chuckle when he chose to focus on her relationship with the elves first. "It is always a bit sad when you leave behind one part of your life, change is never easy or completely painless, but I can't say I'm overly emotional about it. I think I will miss being out under the trees, under the stars, living by my wits, but other than that? There's really not much to lament has Thorin told you about my life?"

"Not much, just that you were a Ranger, trained with the elves, and he had wronged you badly in the past."

This time she couldn't contain her amusement. Frerin seemed to relax a bit at her laughter. "That sounds just like him. Well, if you are in the mood for a story I have one for you." At his nod she began to tell him about her family and their deaths, the incident with Thorin in Ered Luin, her time in Rivendell and with the Rangers, Gandalf's offer, and her eventual meeting with Dis and subsequent time in Erebor. When she finished, ending with their discovery of who he truly was, Frerin observed her silently for several moments.

"You have certainly had an interesting life, Rhae. I do not know much about the race of Man, or the Dunedain, but I do recall the distrust we all held for them before I ... died. That has been one of the harder things to become accustomed to since my return, the open-mindedness Thorin and most of the others now have towards those not of our race. However based on what you have just told me and what I've heard from my siblings I can see that their newfound trust is not misplaced. If more of the Rangers are like you I do hope we have more interactions with them in the future."

"It's possible but for now our job is to guard the west and to keep an eye out for machinations of the enemy." The mood sobered a bit at that and Frerin ran one of his hands over the braids in his beard. "How are you doing? I have thought of you often since my departure a few months ago." The physical differences had been easy to see: the clothes that fit his position as brother to the king, the intricate braids in his hair and beard, the beads and jewels, and the double swords he carried on his back. He smiled a lot and joked around with the other dwarves, especially his brother and Dwalin, and his strength seemed to have returned. But it was what couldn't be seen that she was interested in.

"I'm coming along, I suppose. Coming to grips with the fact that I am no longer a young dwarrow has been fairly easy, its the other things that are causing me to stumble. Knowing that I was being used as a tool to destroy my family and ancestral home sickens me." He sighed and glanced at her. "Things are still awkward between me and Nara and it is all on my shoulders. I know that to her I am still her father, just with a different name and a new position, but for me ... I just see a young girl that I have no memory of. While I am glad the wizard freed me from whatever spell I was under, I wish it had not wiped everything from my mind."

Rhae reached over and took his hand, squeezing it. "Give it time. You haven't been back six months yet. Relationships take time." Didn't she know ...

"I know but it is hard to remember that when I see the sadness in her eyes. From what she has told me her mother died not long after her birth and I am all she has left."

"She has an entire family now, a family that will welcome her and help her adjust to all the changes. I am not saying it will be easy but she will not be alone."

He gave her a grateful smile, squeezing her hand back in return. "Thank you. I think you are probably the best thing to ever happen to Thorin. You seem to have a good head on your shoulders and I think you're just the one to put a boot to his arse when he's being a hardheaded fool."

"He can tell you I am not one to bite my tongue, though perhaps I should at least try to in the future."

"Maybe in public," he agreed with a grin. "But you let him have it in private. I can tell he's come a long way since I last knew him but I'm sure he'll still have his moments when you need to smack him upside the head."

Rhae shook her head with a quiet laugh. "I'll keep that in mind."

They fell into a companionable silence for a while. Frerin pulled out a pipe and soon was blowing smoke rings over their heads. She ran her whetstone over the blade of her sword, just enjoying being out in the wild again. Her opportunities for such things would soon be behind her and she wanted to soak it in while she could.

"Thorin is completely devoted to you. I don't recall him ever being more than mildly interested in any of the dams that were paraded in front of him while we were growing up and to say I was surprised when I found out who had caught his heart would be an understatement." He gave her a sly look but she could see the twinkle in his eyes. "I have to say you're certainly prettier than a lot of the dams in the mountain."

She felt a blush creep across her cheeks. "I was told at one point that I would not be considered attractive by dwarven standards because I was too tall, too skinny, and beardless."

"They were jealous, of course. Not only are you pretty but you ran your own life, you didn't require a father or husband to tell you what to do. Dwarves love and cherish our females and that tends to make us very over protective of them as well. So you had freedom and good looks which made you a target for that green eyed monster. Top all that off by the fact that the King fell head over boots for you and suddenly you were probably the topic of every foul mouthed mama in the mountain that had been hoping to snag my brother for their own daughter." Rhae wasn't sure what to say to all that. Some of it certainly echoed things Dis had told her in the past. "Even if my sister hadn't told about what had been happening between the two of you the fact that Thorin couldn't stop talking about you after you left was clue enough."

"He talked of me?"

Frerin looked at her incredulously. "You're joking, right? When you left Thorin disappeared for at least a week, pretty much locked himself away and wouldn't see anyone except myself or Dis, Balin, or Dwalin. He wouldn't even see the lads. It was Dis that finally knocked him around enough to see reason and we left the mountain soon after that."

Rhae bowed her head at a loss for words. Her guilt over her own ridiculous stubbornness resurfaced. All those months in Rivendell she had not been alone in her discontent and he had been on his way to her even then. She sucked in a deep breath to keep the tears that were threatening from falling. A heavy arm slung itself over her shoulders and pulled her in for a tight hug.

"I did not intend on upsetting you by saying that. I just wanted you to know that Thorin loves you and that is something I never expected to see." He squished her a bit closer. "I will be overjoyed the day I can officially call you my agnât'nanith." She gave him a puzzled look and he laughed. "It means sister-in-law. We are going to have to start teaching you some Khuzdul. Can't have a Queen Under the Mountain unable to speak the language."

"I picked up a few during my time in Erebor and Thorin has begun the attempt at lessons -"

"You just come to me or one of the lads. We'll teach you the words you really need to know." He tried to say it with a straight face but was unsuccessful.

She laughed and gave him a friendly elbow in the ribs. "I think the two of us are going to get along fabulously, Frerin."

Their journey passed uneventfully. Rhae could see how relieved Thorin and the others were when they finally reached the far side of Mirkwood. She surmised that the memories of what had occurred during their last trip in the same direction were not easily forgotten. For her part she was quite glad they still caught no sight of the massive spiders she'd been told lurk in the darkness under the twisted and bent trees. Though they did not show themselves, Rhae was very aware of the presence of Thranduil's guards as they made their way through the forest and passed the Woodland Realm on the other side. She was glad the dwarves didn't seem to treat her any differently than they had when she was just a Ranger in their midst but the niggling worry about how the rest of the dwarves in the mountain would react to their news couldn't be completely banished.

They camped the last night between the lake and Dale. After accepting a bowl of Bofur's stew, Thorin pulled her a little ways back from the rest of the company and they seated themselves on a fallen tree trunk.

"Do not worry about your reception in the mountain. The majority will have no problem accepting you and the rest will just have to learn to live with it."

"I just worry about the trouble it might cause you. I have heard about how unbending the Council is - "

"The Council, though they would like to think so, have no real say in what happens in the mountain and they certainly have no say so in what I do in my private life. They are there for advice and advice alone. The only power they have is in their heads." She nodded and dug into her stew. His confidence did a lot for her own in this instance. He knew his people and no doubt had ways of ascertaining moods in the mountain. Still, she couldn't help but worry a little. He sat his bowl to the side, putting an arm around her, and she buried her head into his shoulder. There was such a feeling of security there.

"I will do my best to be the Queen Erebor deserves."

"I do not doubt it nor do I doubt your ability to handle every situation you are presented with. But I am not marrying you because of that. I am marrying you because I love you and I cannot imagine living another moment without you by my side. Just like I inscribed on your blade, you are my heart, my joy, and my light. You complete me in a way I never thought possible." He leaned in and pressed his forehead to hers, his next words coming out in that low baritone that always turned her knees to jelly. "Men lananubukhs menu and I cannot wait until we are joined as one."

Rhae couldn't think of anything to say that would accurately convey what she was feeling so she pulled him into a long kiss that had Bofur complaining about them ruining his supper.

Dis was waiting for them at the Front Gate along with Balin and Fíli. Rhae could almost see the energy and excitement radiating from the dwarrowdam as they approached. She and Thorin shared a knowing glance.

"I have a feeling you are about to be whisked away from me," he said with a grin.

"I think you're right ... and lost in a world of dresses and flowers and goodness knows what else," she replied with an exaggerated sigh.

"I will make time to come rescue you occasionally," he teased.

"Please do."

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Thorin was right. Dis was by her side almost constantly with questions about fabrics and jewels and all manner of things that she honestly had no idea about. She could sense her friend's frustration with her lack of opinions but she truly had nothing to add. Clothes and the like had never been something she'd concerned herself with. It didn't matter to her what she wore to the wedding so long as she was married to Thorin at the end of it. When she teasingly said one day that she'd be fine wearing her leather jerkin and boots Rhae thought Dis might explode. After that she kept her unhelpful comments to herself and tried to show some interest in all the choices that were presented to her.

Besides her many meetings and fittings with Dis, Balin and Ori visited her every day to begin her instruction in what the Queen Under the Mountain needed to know and also lessons in Khuzdul. Unlike her lessons decades earlier under Lord Elrond, she listened to her teachers and took in all they were telling her. She was surprised to find that 'Queen of Erebor' was not merely a courtesy title extended to the wife of the king. There would be duties she would be expected to uphold and she had to be prepared to step in should anything happen to Thorin. The thought unsettled her.

It wasn't long before the month was up and guests were arriving in the mountain almost hourly. Thorin kept her by his side anytime he was greeting visitors and, as both he and Dis had insisted many times, no one said anything against her. Yes, there were a few puzzled expressions, mainly on older dwarves, but no one was rude. If they held objections they hid it well behind smiles. Rhae watched the newcomers each day hoping to see her Rangers but the sun kept setting without any sign of them. She tried to keep from feeling too disappointed. Even though Galen had promised they would come it was a hard journey this time of year.

The morning of the wedding dawned bright but cold. Winter was nearing its end but the landscape was still crisp with ice. It was a beautiful sight when she looked out the window. Turning back into the room she slowly approached where the dress Dis and her dressmakers had created hung on a cabinet. As she fingered the fine silk and brocade she felt her nerves flare up at the enormity of what would happen to her later that evening. She let it run its course for a few moments then resolutely pushed it away. This was not what she had ever expected but this was the beginning of a whole new life for her. She wasn't going let nerves rob her of one second of happiness or excitement.

agnât'nanith: sister in law (I think!)

men lananubukhs menu: I love you